Weeks later, after Angelique had been asking Cynthia Ann each day what she had found out about Chuck, Angelique learned from Cynthia Ann that Chuck was still alive, as readers suspected.

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Episode 7

On a dreary winter Florida day as the oranges on the trees in the yard had begun to ripen, Cynthia finally sat Angelique down at the kitchen table covered in a violet and green paisley oilcloth. She poured milk into a glass Mason jar and told her to drink it, that it was good for the baby. Then she told her that she and the Lovely Louise had talked about what they could see about Chuck. Using their psychic powers, both of them had agreed with Angelique’s dream that Chuck was still alive. Angelique heaved a huge sigh and could hardly get the words out fast enough. “So where is he?”

“You remember I told you there are things we can know and things that are unknowable.”

“But this is really simple. If he is alive, where is he? I want to go see him.”

“Here is what we know. We think he is alive, but he has disappeared. Purposefully disappeared.”

“You could see that in your crystal ball or something?”

“How long you been living here with me? You ever see a crystal ball?”

“So how do you know?”

“Like everybody else. I have a friend who is a private detective and sometimes I trade her services, one way or the other. She’s been looking into it for me. It looks like Chuck was selling to some different customers this time. That he agreed to hook up with them at the Days Inn in Orlando.”

“So is that it? I already know that. I was there and I told you that. What do you mean she? I didn’t think women were private detectives.”

“Missy, you are the most impatient person I know. And what you don’t know about what women can do could fill a book. The part about the customers being different than he usually dealt with was new. She tracked down his old customers and none of them had been in contact with Chuck or had heard from him in a while.”

“So who were the new customers?”

“Looks like they were a new group from Miami, and some very bad dudes.”

“So what went down?”

“Been watching too many crime shows again. Nobody knows because nobody was there at the time. But if it’s the group of thugs that he seemed to be dealing with, they were known for trying to take the product without paying. For getting rid of the delivery boy.”

“But you said he is alive.”

“It would seem that he escaped, maybe with the product, maybe not. Either way, they would probably be after him until they found him. If he still has the product, it could be worse. Which is why we think he has disappeared purposefully.”

“Well can’t you see where he went?”

“Remember the unknowable? It might be possible to track the gang, but one person who wanted to disappear…..”

“Well I don’t believe he would leave me.”

“Chicklet, it wasn’t about you. And you are probably right. He wouldn’t leave you if he had any choice. But we’re not sure that he did.”

“So can’t we just go with the detective and find him?”

“If somebody wants to disappear, or in this case needs to disappear, they may not be found for a long time.”

“Is he in Florida?”

“Louise and I have been focusing on ‘seeing’ him. And when we do, we see the bald head and beard in some place that looks like somewhere in South America. It seems to be far away from Florida. But I do have one other bombshell for you. When I spoke to Louise yesterday, she let me know that someone you haven’t seen for a while knows where you are and is on the way to see you right now.” Vote below on what will happen next or if reading in email click Take our Poll.